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Let's assume that there is a lechatchila to not use metal object that are mekabel tumah (susceptible to tumah) for something that supports the s'chach ("maamid"), which can be avoided by using something that supports something that supports s'chach ("maamid d'maamid"); but if it was used there is no issue b'dieved with using a maamid that is mekabel tumah. See this Halachipedia article for more information.

What about a notched 2x4 board? Many people use long beams across their sukkos to support their schach -- are these mekabel tumah?

Here's a picture:

2x4s, each with a notch that removes a few inches along the length of the board from half of its cross-section

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  • Related: judaism.stackexchange.com/q/46211/5323
    – MTL
    Oct 20, 2014 at 1:32
  • I may be missing the forest for the trees here - but what are the notches for? I don't believe I've ever seen those sold at home depot (although I could just be missing them). Were the notches put in for some sukkah related purpose or do they have a more general function?
    – Popular Isn't Right
    Oct 20, 2014 at 2:17
  • @Bachrach44 They're there to hold them on to the sukkah walls.
    – MTL
    Oct 20, 2014 at 2:33
  • The notch can't contain anything afaict.
    – Double AA ♦
    Oct 20, 2014 at 2:41
  • @DoubleAA Is that the only thing that defines a כלי?
    – MTL
    Oct 20, 2014 at 3:02

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in shulchan aruch harav siman 628 sief 7 he writes regarding mats that are made for a few diffrent reasons that since they are not made for anything in particular therefore you go after the intention of the one buying it if his intentions are for a sukkah then they are not mikabel tumah

so to in this case the 2x4s are bought with the intentions of holding up the schach therefore they were never in the category of mikabel tumah

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  • Mats do not have a beis kibul and so are not inherently a kli. A notch in wood is arguably different being that the notch is a beis kibbul, the lumber might no longer be called pshutei kli eits.
    – user6591
    Oct 20, 2014 at 3:26
  • Those notches are made in order to hold up the sukkah nut for any other reason (I have never seen a price of wood with those notches in it except for a sukkah) so again they are sold as pshutei kli eitz and those notches are made solely for the sukkah and there is no time between four them to become a beis kibul litumah. See shailos utsuvos avnei neizer siman tof ayin gimmul and piskei tshuvos siman tof reish chof tes seif yud
    – skraz13
    Oct 20, 2014 at 3:54
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    @user6591 How is a notch a beis kibbul?
    – Double AA ♦
    Oct 20, 2014 at 4:05
  • @user6591 - I second that. A notch is not a beth qibbul any more than the tip of an arrow that has been whittled down to a point; granted it is made to receive or interlock with another piece, but it is not a keli. Such arrows by the way are kosher sekhakh. Kol tuv.
    – user3342
    Feb 6, 2015 at 2:46
  • @Maimonist I third it. I didn't say i think it is, I said it can arguably be said, meaning there is room for further clarification to ascertain if indeed the halakha for one applies to the other.
    – user6591
    Feb 6, 2015 at 2:50

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